It is often required to generate a file system from a large database of random data. Such massive data banks and file systems occur at many facilities, such as hospitals, health medical organizations, car dealerships, government agencies, and the like. When a file system is being developed, or when the system is being converted from one format to another, the database is often not ordered. Moreover, the data available for each label is often not consistent from label to label. Some labels will necessarily display more data than others. For example, where a label might be intended to include a patient's name, case number, birth date, social security number, insurance provider, diagnosis code and bar code associated with that data, it is not unusual for some of the data to be absent. Many individuals do not know their social security number, and a surprising number of elderly people do not recall their birth date. As a consequence, those data entries on the label may be absent--as may be the bar code if it is intended to include information respecting the missing data. In the past, it has been known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,674 to generate an array of labels from a database in which a template is developed for the labels and imprinted upon them. The data is then entered into associated areas on the label within the template. According to this prior art teaching, a specific label format is defined with discrete regions on the label for each of the various data entries. Those discrete regions are specifically defined and always present on the label within the template, whether the data associated with the specific region is entered or not. Notably, the template is first printed upon the label and the data entered thereafter.
The prior art techniques and apparatus for developing labels from large databases has typically been quite rigid as to format. The prior art has not been easily tailored to accomodate variations in the nature of the available data from label to label.
There is a need in the art for a technique and apparatus for generating an array of labels from a mass data bank of random data for ultimate attachment to an assemblage of file folders, and in which the technique and apparatus is flexible to accomodate variations in the data available for each of the various labels. Moreover, there is a need in the art for such a technique and apparatus which forgoes the use of a template, generating each label individually from a library of graphics, employing clip art techniques, such that each label is complete with the data available, with no defined regions having data absent, and which accommodates a wide variation in label format to accomodate the generation of arrays of labels for a wide range of applications.